George H. W. Bush's Service Dog Sully Was Just Honored with a Bronze Statue
George H.W. Bush died on November 30, 2018.
The 41st president was survived by his children—George, Jeb, Neil, Marvin and Dorothy—plus 14 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and his service dog, Sully.
On Monday, shortly after the one-year anniversary of his death, his four-legged friend received a special honor: the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum unveiled a statue of the yellow Labrador.
Remember Sully, the sweet service dog who stayed beside former President George H.W. Bush's flag-draped casket at his funeral? Of course you do! The Labrador's loyalty captivated (and broke) our hearts. But now future generations can celebrate Sully. On Monday, a life-size bronze statue of the 41st president's service dog was unveiled at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas—a statue which can be viewed by the public later this week.
The piece was commissioned by the national service dog school America’s VetDogs and sculpted by Susan Bahary, an internationally acclaimed artist. While Bahary didn't know she would be tasked with executing the realistic rendering, she knew she wanted to recreate Sully's likeness shortly after seeing the aforementioned image.
"I fell in love with the dog when I saw him [in front of the casket at the Texas funeral home]. I knew that as a sculptor, I had to sculpt him," she said in a statement released by the library. "[I] wanted to capture in life-size bronze the beautiful loyalty and bond that our beloved president inspired in him and that was forever seared in our memories."
A post shared by Sully H.W. Bush (@sullyhwbush) on Dec 2, 2018 at 6:07pm PST
And capture Sully she did. The 30-inch, 60-pound pooch is perfect.
Bahary isn't the only one honoring a member of the Bush family this week. On Sunday, Jenna Bush Hager posted a touching tribute to her grandfather on Instagram, along with several photos.
"One year yesterday, we lost our Gamps," Bush Hager wrote. "He is gone but he left behind a family that loves each other—we talked yesterday about how much we love him and each other. He showed us that serving with humility is the best way to serve and that living with kindness and generosity of spirit is the best way to live."
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President George H.W. Bush died November 30, 2018. He was 94 years old. His wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, died seven months earlier, in April 2018.
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